Quote
“Putting the fruit at eye level counts as a nudge. Banning junk food does not.”
— Richard H. Thaler & Cass R. Sunstein, in Nudge (2008) · Nudge →
Why it was said
Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein give this pair of examples in the introduction to Nudge, just after defining the term. They add that to count as a nudge, an intervention must be easy and cheap to avoid: nudges are not mandates.
What it actually means
The two sentences draw the line on which the idea of libertarian paternalism depends. Moving the fruit changes what people are likely to choose while leaving every option available; a ban removes the option. The distinction matters ethically and practically. A nudge respects the freedom to choose otherwise, and it is often far cheaper than regulation. It also has limits: some problems need rules, and a nudge that cannot be noticed or avoided stops being one.
How to use it
- 1Pick one choice you want to make more often, such as drinking water, and put that option in the easiest place to reach.
- 2When you design a form or a process, check that people can still choose the other option with little effort.
- 3Look at one default setting in your team's tools and ask whether it serves the people who use it.